Proposed Customs Bill Will Hamper Port Concession Agreement …Amiwero

The Customs and Excise Management bill that is currently before the upper chambers of the National Assembly has been described as a bill that will empower the Nigeria Customs Service to  take over the concession agreement between the government and the port concessionaires.
Managing Director, Eyi Resources Limited, Mr. Lucky Amiwero made this known yesterday at a breakfast meeting put together by Maritime Industry Advocacy Initiative (MAIN) and Ports gist and Events, which held at Rockview Hotel in Apapa Lagos.

The Customs and Excise Management bill that is currently before the upper chambers of the National Assembly has been described as a bill that will empower the Nigeria Customs Service to  take over the concession agreement between the government and the port concessionaires.
Managing Director, Eyi Resources Limited, Mr. Lucky Amiwero made this known yesterday at a breakfast meeting put together by Maritime Industry Advocacy Initiative (MAIN) and Ports gist and Events, which held at Rockview Hotel in Apapa Lagos.
Amiwero revealed that the bill, if passed will empower customs to take control of every  laws that control and regulates the operations of port concession, even as he stated that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and other government agencies operating in the port will full under the Customs.
He said that shipping companies and also the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency {NIMASA] are not left out, because, according to him, the NCS will take total control of the entire port operation.
He called on stakeholders present at the breakfast meeting to make inputs in ensuring that the bill does not sail through at the Senate.
According to him, “anything that fall under trade facilitation has to do with the government and it concerns the government alone ‘’.
“Other laws which concerns roles, control regulations or agreement shall be under the jurisdictions of the customs, therefore it is a serious problem to everyone if the bill is passed’’.
 ‘’The customs service shall control other laws which includes the concession agreement’’, he highlighted.
However the Nigerian Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry ,Mines and Agriculture [NACCIMA] also took its position on the CEMA bill.
Director General of (NACCIMA]Dr.John Isemede said that the bill does not capture the interest of stakeholders even as  he stressed that the bill will create duplication of functions at the port.
‘’Given the foregoing as the voice of Business in Nigeria, we wish to say that we are not in support of the CEMA bill recently sent to the Senate for consideration as it does not capture the wide interest of stakeholders and players in the maritime sector of the economy”, he said.
Present at the meeting were representatives of Seaports Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STAON),   SON, NIMASA, LCCI, and freight forwarding practitioners, including the founder of NAGAFF, Dr Boniface Aniebonam who also spoke in opposition of the Bill.
The stakeholders also formed a committee that will harness the positions of all maritime sector stakeholders on the Bill.
The committee is made up of Barrister Chidi Ilogu from STAON, a representative of SON, NACCIMA, LCCI, and two from the organizers of the stakeholders’ forum.